Sunday, November 2, 2008

A New Twist on Making the List

This morning at the breakfast table, our family was discussing the fact that Christmas is only a few, short weeks away. In addition, the two youngest kids have birthdays in November and December. Needless to say, they are beginning to tell me daily the things they would like to have for their birthdays and Christmas.I can still remember each Christmas going through the pages of the Sears catalog, making a list of the things I wanted for Christmas. The list was always much longer than what I knew I would actually receive, but it was so much fun to make The List. Of course, I always made my list with pencil and paper; it was the only way to insure that mom and dad knew just what I wanted. As we were discussing birthday and holidays wants this morning, Jonathan was telling me exactly what he wanted for his birthday. He was very careful to tell me the exact name and he was very specific to tell me he wanted it for his birthday, not Christmas. When he had finished with his elaborate descriptions, he said, "And if you forget, don't worry, the commercial is DVR'ed."DVR'ed? Are you kidding me? I suppose in this technological age there is no longer the need for pencil and paper to make The List. This year the commercial is DVR'ed by an eight year old; next year I'm sure he'll email me a list of his favorites from various toy company websites.And I guess I shouldn't complain. I mean with a commercial to watch, I won't have to worry about the handwriting or spelling of items on the list and I can experience the wants and desires of my children in full color and surround sound. Yes, making The List has certainly changed.